Specialty mutes for tubas or sousaphones have one or rather two shared problems: price and bulkiness.
I have seen a few funny contraptions, but just came by a sample of a trombone bucket mute that better might be scaled for large bells than either the Stonelined H&B or the Alessi concepts. It is by EZ, and the potential standard part that might be useable for the main shape could be the lid of one of black fibre cases for bass drums.
Klaus
Bucket mute for tuba - an inspiration?
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imperialbari
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aqualung
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Re: Bucket mute for tuba - an inspiration?
I'm making a tuba wah-wah mute out of the footpedal-operated lid from a garbage can.
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Homerun
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Re: Bucket mute for tuba - an inspiration?
That sounds like it is going to be awesome. I've been talking about using a garbage can lid as a wah-wah mute with my sousaphone for a while, but keeping it hand operated, and more for schtick during our show than actual usefullness.aqualung wrote:I'm making a tuba wah-wah mute out of the footpedal-operated lid from a garbage can.
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Kevin Hendrick
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Re: Bucket mute for tuba - an inspiration?
Saw a picture recently of toilet seats being used as wah-wah mutes ... seems like they might reinforce (or at least support) the bottom end ...Homerun wrote:That sounds like it is going to be awesome. I've been talking about using a garbage can lid as a wah-wah mute with my sousaphone for a while, but keeping it hand operated, and more for schtick during our show than actual usefullness.aqualung wrote:I'm making a tuba wah-wah mute out of the footpedal-operated lid from a garbage can.
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jmerring
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Re: Bucket mute for tuba - an inspiration?
It's a very good idea; but how do you get it on the horn and back off again, without severely scratching the bell rim?
Last edited by jmerring on Mon May 02, 2011 10:19 am, edited 1 time in total.
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imperialbari
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Re: Bucket mute for tuba - an inspiration?
The grips with the slots for the rim could be made out of wood. The slots could be lined with soft fabric.
The wider the slots, the easier the mounting (which will take more than a few bars anyway). I have experimented with tuba mutes not fastened by friction or tension, but only sitting on cork spacers on the bell flare, basically held in place by gravity alone. Works very well until you hit the odd pitches, where resonance causes wild buzzing.
I have not tried this idea myself yet (for lack or the cardboard lid), so questions and ideas are welcome, as they further the developing of the concept.
Klaus
The wider the slots, the easier the mounting (which will take more than a few bars anyway). I have experimented with tuba mutes not fastened by friction or tension, but only sitting on cork spacers on the bell flare, basically held in place by gravity alone. Works very well until you hit the odd pitches, where resonance causes wild buzzing.
I have not tried this idea myself yet (for lack or the cardboard lid), so questions and ideas are welcome, as they further the developing of the concept.
Klaus